Vehicle slide roofs are widely used on automobiles in the form of a steel or glass plate which is slidably and/or tiltably disposed on an opening provided in the roof panel of the vehicle. The mechanism for actuating and guiding the slide roof is usually mounted on an inner frame which is attached to the lower surface of the fixed roof panel in a spaced relationship. The inner frame is provided with an opening which is slightly smaller than the opening of the fixed roof panel, and defines a water trough along the periphery of the opening to receive possible dripping of water from the periphery of the slide roof panel.
To minimize the vertical dimension of the mechanism for actuating and guiding the slide roof panel and prevent rusting by keeping metallic parts away from contact with water, it is proposed to use a separate trough member made of synthetic resin along the part of the inner frame peripheral to the opening as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,351, issued on Jan. 9, 1990.
In such a slide roof system, the trough member must be securely attached to the inner frame since the trough member is made of synthetic resin material and may warp or otherwise deform in time. In particular, it is preferred not to open any hole in the trough member itself to avoid additional sealing necessities. The use of a bonding agent should be avoided in order to ensure a high level of reliability over the entire service life of the slide roof system. Thus, it is difficult to securely fix the trough member onto the inner frame without using complex mechanical structures.
Also, it is customary to use an air deflector to prevent generation of air turbulences and air noises, for instance as disclosed in Japanese utility model publication No. 57-16735. Typically, such an air deflector is spring-loaded in such a manner that it may be retracted by closing movement of the slide roof against the spring force of a spring member which tends the air deflector toward its fully extended position.
To avoid interference between the trough member and the air deflector mechanism without obstructing the open space defined by the opening, it is preferred to place the base portion of the air deflector mechanism inside the trough member. However, to securely attach the base member located in the trough member to the inner frame, it is necessary to pass bolts through the trough member and fasten them. This in turn requires seals for the holes provided in the trough member to avoid leaking of water and corrosion of metallic parts.